Day 111: Snowy Saturday !

 

I changed the blog pic a couple days ago, because I feel like I'm making progress away from the Hot Mess label that I put on myself. I'm trying harder to get the house in order so that I can focus on diet and exercise again. I feel 100 times better physically and I'm making progress with my mental health. Keeping busy is key and when I say that I can hear my mother saying the same thing. I have one of mom's puzzles that I might do one day and I also have a diamond painting to do. Both are holiday themed, so now is the time !

I was awake just before 8 today and got up shortly after. Snow was continuing to fall and we got close to a foot overnight ! My plow guy came at 4:30 am but by 10 there was a ton of new snow out there. When I got up to grab a yogurt and make a second cup of coffee I decided to go out and shovel the driveway first. It was almost 10:30 when I went out and it was almost 11:30 when I came back in. I shoveled the driveway from the garage to the sidewalk and just as I was finishing that Doug came by, on his way to plow his daughter's driveway. He shared that his mom died on 11-13 and he also offered to finish my driveway ! This was a godsend, as the area between the sidewalk and street is the wet heavy stuff that the plow leaves ! It would have probably taken me another hour to do that. I did feel a slight tweak in my back when I first started but I was more careful after that and got through it just fine. I pushed as much snow as I could and made sure I bent my knees when I was lifting a shovelful. Once Doug  was done, I cleared the chunks on the sidewalk in front of the house and shoveled off the front steps. A good inch of snow fell while I was out there and it's still coming down pretty heavily ! Fortunately it's the light fluffy stuff and I plan to go out again later to clear whatever new accumulation we get, since temps are headed into the 40's tomorrow and rain is predicted ! We're actually still under a winter storm warning and could see another 7-14 inches of snow between now and tomorrow morning ! Today is the local Christmas celebration and that includes horse drawn wagon rides. While I was shoveling the wagon came by 3 times. I was shoveling the steps when they came by the last time and he told me I did a good job .. lol ! I'm sure he could tell a plow had finished the job, but he was right .. I did do a good job ! Not bad for a 62 year old fat chick ! The wagon was full all 3 times but they just came by again at nearly noon and there was only 1 person in the wagon. The snow makes the perfect setting for this annual event, which I've never gone to. Alex was never interested in Christmas and it's not something I would check out alone. They had a "lighted parade" just after 5 pm but I couldn't see it from the house. 

Once I came inside I made that second cup of coffee and sat down to enjoy that and my yogurt. I also started this blog ! I checked my Fitbit and I'm already over 5,000 steps for the day. That is because of the motion involved with shoveling. I don't think I really "walked" that many steps. Who knows, maybe I did !?!? I had to take my sweatshirt off as I was so hot. It's funny that the past couple years I had the heat set on 70 and it never seemed warm enough. Even having the upstairs at 65 is fine. With flannel sheets and my winter comforter I am plenty warm enough. In a pinch I do have a heater for the bedroom. That may come in handy when we get temps in the single digits or below zero. If nothing else it will keep the heat from running constantly trying to warm the entire upstairs. I actually have 3 space heaters, so I will never be cold unless the power is off !

I've eaten most of the junk food in the house, except for 4 pot pies. Today I had Eggo waffles for breakfast and then a yogurt. I put a pot pie in the oven for lunch, since I want to use those up. I'm not planning on buying anymore "junk" as I need to get back to working on my weight. I had a few pretzels and dinner was a roast turkey meal with a packet of the stuffing I froze. Later I had a couple Eggo waffles with peanut butter. I was starving after all this exertion today ! Not having any junk in the house kinda sucks .. lol .. though I do have a tube of cinnamon rolls and a tube of cornbread rolls that I could bake.

Around 2:25 I went back outside to clear the inch or two of snow that had fallen. I was done by 3:07 and then cleared off the front steps again. Around 7:20 I went out for the last time just to clean up some snow that had fallen off the roof and spilled over into the driveway. That took less than 5 minutes and I called it a day after that. My back is sore but once I am up and moving I am fine. I did take a couple Tylenol when I came in. Fitbit says I've done over 11,000 steps today, which is amazing. I know a lot of those are just from arm movement while shoveling, but the exertion of shoveling burns a lot of calories !

Shoveling is really all I "accomplished" today, but I'll take that all day long ! It's good to get outside and get some fresh air and exercise. It made me feel really good. The winter storm warning expires at 10 am tomorrow and it's supposed to be in the 40's with a possibility of rain. This is why it was so important to get the snow cleared today. Once it starts to melt it would be even heavier !

I am tired tonight ! It's only 8:30 and I'm already thinking about going to bed. I'm going to have my evening snack and do that !

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Below is what I achieved today. I am focusing on what I do each day, and not looking back to what I did or didn't do any other day. I hope that one day soon I won't need a checklist to ensure I do all of these everyday tasks !

Make the bed - 

feed cats - 

have breakfast - 

get dressed - 

exercise - 

clean litter boxes - 

have morning snack - 

have lunch - 

have afternoon snack - 

have dinner - 

have evening snack - 

shower - 

skincare - 

brush teeth -